Among the dozens of regulatory changes approved at the May 16, 2024 Arkansas Game and Fish Commission meeting in El Dorado, one stood out above the rest by generating the most chatter among the state’s deer hunting community .
Arkansas hunters will now be able to use non-semi-automatic firearms that fire .30 or larger caliber straight-wall metal cartridges during the muzzleloading season in Arkansas. The same firearms will also be legal during the modern gun season in Deer Zones 4 and 5, which traditionally only allowed muzzleloaders and shotguns to fire bullets.
Although similar regulations have been implemented in other states, it is always good to review the regulation to help people stay legal in case they want to dust off an old firearm that has been a safe king for the last decade or are interested. in purchasing a new gun and ammunition to take advantage of the new opportunity.
More than one sporting goods store has already contacted the AGFC asking what rifles and cartridges they should order in preparation for the new opening of the alternative firearms season (scheduled for October 19).
DISCARD THE SPRAY GUN
The first thing to note about the new regulation is that shotguns that fire slugs, while legal during modern gun season, will not be allowed during alternative gun season. All cartridges used during the alternative weapons season must be metal cartridges.
Hunters in Zones 4 and 5 will still be able to use shotguns as before, but during the new alternative firearms season, they will not be allowed. Zones 4 and 5 will not yet have an open season on alternative firearms, so the difference should not cause any problems with a hunter from these zones bringing the wrong gun on the hunt.
Some questions have already come through the AGFC phone lines asking if a shotgun modified with a rifled barrel and converted to essentially be a “slug gun” will be allowed during the alternative firearms season. The simple answer is “no.” Hunting is not intended to allow slug guns, and the shotgun shell that holds the slug does not fit the definition of a metallic cartridge.
SPEAK CLEAR
Over the past few weeks there has been a flurry of questions about which cartridges are considered straight wall.
“Is a .30-30 allowed? What about the .35 Whelen?
These rounds may be allowed in other states, but for the Arkansas alternative firearms season or the modern weapons season in Zones 4 and 5, they are outright prohibited.
“If you look at the profile of the cartridge case, both rounds have a shoulder where the brass tapers down to accommodate a bullet diameter that is smaller than the base of the case,” said Lt. Col. Jake Dunn of the AGFC Compliance Department. He said the Division. “Any shoulder on the brass case will disqualify it as an option for any straight wall requirement in Arkansas. However, the notches on some straight-wall bushings near the base where the primer is located (called extractor slots) are legal.”
WITHOUT CAR
A wave of straight-wall semi-autos has hit the market since traditional “shotgun-only” states adopted straight-wall rifles as legal during their deer hunting seasons. These are good firearms for deer hunting during Arkansas’ modern gun season in most of the state, but they will not be allowed during the new alternative firearms season, nor will they be allowed in Deer Zones 4 and 5 during those modern weapons hunts.
“There are some AR-style platforms that are actually bolt-action, and we’ve heard of some conversion kits available that change some automatic rifles to bolt-action,” Dunn said. “Those would be legal under the code.”
OLD BETSY
If your hunting budget doesn’t allow you to include a new firearm in this season’s purchases, don’t worry. You can still dance with the one you’ve been bringing the last few seasons. Muzzleloaders that comply with traditional Arkansas regulations may still be used while hunting. Many hunters have invested a lot of time, energy, and money into preparing their perfect black powder load for deer, and many modern muzzleloaders are fully capable of ethically harvesting whitetails within 150 yards with a well-placed shot. Considering that most deer harvested in Arkansas are found within 100 yards of the hunter, the old smoke pole is still great medicine for any deer walking through The Natural State’s forests.
Front stuffers must have barrels of 19 inches or longer and must be .40 caliber or larger. Telescopic sights and other magnification sights can also be used.
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Some questions have also arisen regarding the use of guns that fit the definition of straight-wall cartridges. Non-semi-automatic handguns (including revolvers and single-shots) chambered for straight-wall cartridges of at least .30 caliber will be legal during the alternative firearms hunting season.
Hunters opting for handguns should note that all handguns that fire cartridges must have a barrel that is at least 4 inches long to be legal for deer hunting. Muzzle-loading guns with barrels of at least 9 inches may also be used as long as they fire .45 or larger caliber conical bullets or .530 or larger caliber round balls.
As with any firearm, hunters should use good judgment when selecting cartridge. A few low-power cartridges may technically fit the definition of a legal firearm during alternative hunting as well as modern gun hunting, but they may not provide a quick and ethical harvest. Larger Magnum cartridges such as .357 Magnum, .44 Remington Magnum and ethical shooting distances within 50 yards are highly recommended. Gun hunters should also ensure that the bullets in those cartridges are soft point or hollow point rather than metal jacketed ammunition (which is illegal).
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CUTS
LEVER ACTION
Non-semi-automatic rifles, like this lever-action one, will be legal during Alternative Firearms Deer Season as long as they fire a straight-wall metal cartridge of .30 caliber or larger.
muzzleloader hunter
For traditionalists, only the name of the muzzleloading season has changed. Muzzleloaders that fire at least one .40-caliber bullet remain legal during alternative firearms deer season in Arkansas.
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